Axial piston variable displacement pumps with pressure and horsepower compensated hydraulic swash plate actuators are well known in the art as disclosed, for example, in the Malott U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,726,093 and 3,941,513 and in the Marietta U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,764. When two such pumps are required in parallel in a hydraulic system driven by the same engine having a predetermined horsepower limit, the horsepower controls of the pumps are generally set to torque limits equal to one-half the utilizable engine torque. However, in the operation of said hydraulic system, when one pump is deadheading or is in standby condition or is operating at low displacement, the torque limit thereof may be considerably less than one-half the utilizable torque while the torque limit of the other pump remains at one-half the utilizable engine torque, whereby the fluid motor actuated by said other pump is actuated at lower speed and/or lower pressure than would be potentially possible if the unutilized torque were made available to said other pump.